This invention relates to communication apparatus. More particularly, it is concerned with apparatus for producing a carrier frequency signal which is frequency shift key (FSK) modulated by a digital data stream.
Broadly, frequency shift keying (FSK) is the modulating of a carrier frequency to shift its frequency by predetermined increments in response to particular data to be transmitted. A special form of frequency shift keying employed in transmitting binary information is known as minimum shift keying (MSK). In MSK modulation the frequency shifts are phase continuous. That is, the transmitted signal is a sinusoidal signal which varies in frequency but has no time-phase discontinuities. A binary 0 is transmitted at a frequency below the center frequency of the carrier and a binary 1 is transmitted at a frequency above the center frequency. The differential between each of the transmitted frequencies and the center frequency of the carrier is equal to the modulation rate, or data rate, divided by four.
Although apparatus for producing MSK signals are well-known, they are relatively complicated and expensive. A large number of digital circuits including counters, dividers, and gates are required. Several one-shot multivibrators are employed to detect zero crossings in order to control the apparatus so as to maintain phase continuity. There are also problems in synthesizing frequencies in certain ranges of frequency thus limiting the flexibility of the apparatus.